Electrical connector



Sept. 26, 1961 w. H. AYER ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed Dec. 3, 1959 FIG. 1

FIG. 4

ELECTRICAL UNIT ELECTRICAL UNIT i5 \NVENTOR WILLIAM H. AYER ATTCDFZNEYS 3,002,045 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR 7 William H. Ayer, Scituate, Mass, assignor,. by mesne assignments, to The Sippican' Corporation, Marion, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Dec. 3, 1959, Ser. No. 857,008

Claims. (Cl. 174-88) r This invention relatstoelectrical connection means and more particularly to an improved method of electrically connecting two conductors with a helically .Wrapped third conductor; Theinvention also relates to an improved 'multi-terminal connector assembly employing this improved connection method.

. The invention employs the well known wrapped wire solderless connection in a novel manner to obtain im- 7 proved electrical connection between pairs of-co'mpara:

tively rigid terminals. In the past, the wrapped wire technique was used to connect a solid wire lead to a single terminal pin and was'merely coiled tightly about the pin. In the present invention, the tightly wrapped wire is employed as a third element to connect two inde: pendent terminals, and provides full mechanical and electrical connections therebetween.

The improved terminal connection method is particularlysuitable in one form to an improved multipin connector assembly. Upstanding rectangular terminal portions are embedded in the male and female halves of the connecte'r to which the required lead connections are made. The female half is provided with an aperture which allows passage of the male'terminal' to an adjacent position with the terminal on the female member. Naturally, a multiplicity of terminals may be incorporated on the connector halves so that many .circuitsicanbe conveniently joined. In this multi-terminalconnector form, the connector halves requireextremely low joining force in comparison to prior art connectors not employing the wrapped wire fastening technique.

It can also be seen that the terminal pin alignment on both the male and female parts is comparatively uncritical due to their flexibility and the eventual wrapping of the terminals together. The tolerance build-up problem is of major importance in prior art connectors employing large numbers of terminal pins. The invention substantially reduces tolerance considerations and is particularly useful when required to connect to conductors which emerge from encapsulated electronic assemblies in a relatively uncontrolled dimensional relation to one another.

The invention is equally adaptable to connecting circuit terminals having non-rectangularshapes as well as to connecting more than two terminals in a bunch. The efficiency of the electrical bond between the circuit terminals is primarily determined by the existence of longitudinal corners or edges on the terminals to which the wrapped wire in tension may make contact. Surface contact between the terminals provides a secondary electrical path insuring a low resistance electrical connection.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved method of connecting electrical terminals.

Another object of the invention is to provide a reliable low cost multi-pin connector assembly having extremely low insertion force requirements.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a connector assembly in which dimensional variations in terminal placement arenon-critical.

A further object of the invention is to provide an electrical connection which is simple in design, reliable in operation and economical to manufacture.

For a better understanding of the nature of the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawingsin which:

"ice

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view, partly broken, showing. the circuit terminals joined with a spirally wrapped coil;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the terminal connection shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view in cross section of a single pin connector;

- FIG. 4'shows a multi-pin connector assembly as applied to typical electrical units in partial section taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 5 is a broken top plan view of the multi-pin female connector half shown in section in FIG. 4.

A single pin electrical connector 10 is, shown in exploded relation in FIG. 3. The connector is composed of a female plug half 16 and a male plug half 18 having contact terminals 12 and 14, respectively. The contact terminals 12 and 14 are embedded in their. associated insulating base portions, respectively, 22 and 20. These base portions may be fabricated or molded from any suitable insulating plastic material. The upstanding contact terminal 12 has connected to its lower portion a wire 26, While the contact terminal 14 has connected to its lower enda wire conductor 24. i The insulating base 22 of the upper or female member has an aperture 28 which provides a passageway for the insertion of the contact terminal 14 upon joining of the two connector halves. -When joined, the twocontact terminals will assume an adjacent relationship above the upper surface of the insulating block 22. The relationship of the parts upon the joining of the connector halves can be more fully appreciated with references-to the viewsin FIGS. 1 and 4, wherein the contact terminals have been mechanically and electrically secured by 'a helically Wound wire 30. This connecting wire is wrapped in a tight tensioned fashion about the rectangular pair of terminals 12 and '14 in such a manner that positive electrical connection is insured therebetween. The helically wrapped wire 30 provides both electrical conduction between the terminals.

12 and 14 and mechanically compresses their adjacent surfaces together to form a good electrical bond.

In FIG. 4 a connector employing a multiplicity of terminal contacts is shown in cooperation with electrical units 34 and 34 from which protrude a multiplicity of cont-act terminals 14. In this view the left hand portion of the connector is shown prior to wrapping of the wire about the terminals and shows the surface contact area 32 between the terminal contacts. In the right hand portion of the same figure the electrical connections have been made between the respective terminal pins.

The top view of a female connector half is shown in FIG. 5 wherein the contact terminals 12 are spaced about a rectangular opening 28 in the insulating base 22. A multi-conductor cable 36 has typical conductor wires 38 and 40 attached to the lower embedded ends of adjacent contact terminals. A conductor 42 is integrally molded Within the base 22 to thereby electrically interconnect any desired contact terminals 12 in the base.

It can be readily understood how the invention easily critical to tolerance build-ups in view of the inherent flexibility of the contact terminals. The Wire wrapping connection method used to electrically and mechanically secure pairs of contact terminals also allows for dimensional variations in the parts themselves. It should be understood that the invention is in no way limited to connection of only pairs of contact terminals by a wrapped helical wire, but can just as readily'beiapplied to advantage insecuring two or more contact terminals. of any one of various cross sectiontal shapes.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be under- Patented Sept. 26, 1961 i determined fashion;

stood that the invention-may be embodiedotherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

1.-An 'eleetricabconnector eempnsmg m-an and fem-1e I members" made of -inSuIatin'g materiaL-at leas-r one p standing substantially rectangular terminal embcdded in said female niinber adjacent' an-aperture'therein} at least one substantially rectangular terminal embedded 'infsaid male member: extending through a corresponding aperture in said female member and adjacent aporti'on ofa corresponding upstanding terminal in said ternale memb'er; multi-turn spirally Wrapped 'conductiye wire me'ansc nals-,- and atplurality of conductors embedded in the male and femalemembcrs connecting saidterminals in pre- 2 5 An 'electr'ioal'con'nector comprising'male and female a members made of insulating material, -a plurality of upstanding substantially rectangular-terminals secured to said female jmernber eadjacerit the oppositeedges of a rectangular aperture: therein; a vsecond plurality of upstanding substantially rectangularterminals secured to said male member. extending "through-"the rectangular j aperture in saidfemale member, each of said terminals be'ing adjacent a portion of 'a corresponding upstanding terminal in said v female member, conductor means in at least one of saidv memhers electrically interconnecting j said terminals in predetermined fashion; and-means electrically and mechanically connecting corresponding termi- A nals of said male and female -members-,-said means including a multi-turn spirallywrappedwconductive wire in tension about correspondingterminals of said members.

I 3. An electricalfconnector'comprising a-male and 'a femaleimember made of insulatingtmaterial, a plurality of upstanding terminals secured to 'saidfemale' member adjacent the edges of aperturesth'erein; a second plurality v of upstanding terminals secured to saidmale member and eXtending through the apertures in said female memc her and in substantial parallel registry wi th a portion of electrically and mechanically connecting adjacent'terini her, means electrically and mechanically connecting corresponding ends of said terminals, said means including a multi-turn spirally Wrapped conductive Wire in tension about'said terminals, and-conductor means in at least one of the members electricallyl'interconneetingselected termi;

nalssofathemember in predeterminedfashionq a 4; A"feinale" connectorfor engagement Wi-tlf'a tmalef member having upstanding" terminals thereon; said" fe-- 10 male connector comprisingrabody portion of insulating material, a plurality of upstanding terminals secured to said body. portion adjacent the: edges; of apertures. therein, said terminals being adapted to be electricallyconnectedc to L corresponding terminals j of the male member extending through said apertures'yby multi-turnspirally Wrapped.

conductive: wire means in tension about said terminals,

and conductor means in said body-portioninterconnecting selectedupstanding terminalslof said'female connector in.predeterrninedfashion.

tial parallel alignment with corresponding-terminals of said first portion, multi-turn spirally wrapped conductive I wire means electrically and mechanically connecting corresponding terminals of said firstand second portions, and

conductor means in at least said first: portion electrically interconnecting selected terminals of said portion in predetem'lined fashion. f I

' References Citedin the file ofthis patent UNITED STAT ES PATENTS 2 ,759,166 Mallina Aug. 14, 1956' 2,917,678 Tepperl Dec. 15,1959.

7 FOREIGN PATENTS 753,605

a a corresponding. upstanding v.terminallof.said female niem-p Great Britain July 1956 ii 

